VOLUNTEER

Vending Machine Feeds Stray Animals in Exchange for Recycled Bottles

A company in Istanbul, Turkey has created a solution to the city’s overcrowding stray animal problem that also helps the environment. The company created a vending machine that dispenses help for stay animals and the environment. The vending machine releases water and food for Istanbul’s stray animals in exchange for plastic bottles. When a person recycles their bottle into the vending machine the machine then dispenses water and food into bowls located at the bottom of the vending machine, for stray animals.

The Smart Recycling Boxes operate at no charge to the city of Istanbul, because the recycled water bottles cover the cost of the animal food. The vending machines create a new positive outlook on the otherwise negative stray animal problem. The stray animals of Istanbul often rely on the city’s residents to feed them; the vending machine will correct this problem by providing a steady food source for the stray animals.

Turkey is known for its large number of stray animals in its urban areas. The city of Istanbul alone has reported more than 150,000 stray animals that can lead to sources of danger and disease. The Smart Recycling Boxes by created by Pugedon aim to get Istanbul residents into the healthy habit of recycling, while also helping better the stray animal community.

Read the complete article and watch a video demonstration of the vending machine.